Guna Mola Panel with Abstract Figural Form and Twin Heads

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The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1

By Dana Auctions LLC

May 16, 2026

Set Reminder 2026-05-16 11:00:00 2026-05-16 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/dana-auctions-llc/the-parker-neal-mola-collection---part-1-23111
The Parker-Neal Mola Collection Auction on May 16 presents a compelling selection of molas drawn from the renowned collection of Ann Parker and Avon Neal, co-authors of Molas: Folk Art of the Cuna Indians. This first offering has been thoughtfully curated to highlight some of the most interesting and visually striking examples from their extensive holdings. Dana Auctions LLC dana@danaauctions.com

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• Lot Description
  Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1970s 16.5 × 14.5 inches A visually commanding mola panel worked in 3 layers with reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery depicting a large abstract figural form that fills the entire composition on a vivid orange ground. The figure is rendered in bold concentric outlines of blue, dark red, and black, creating a powerful graphic presence that balances zoomorphic reference with near-total geometric abstraction. The figure is oriented vertically, its broad torso occupying the central field with two raised arms extending upward and outward, each terminating in distinctive trident-shaped or three-pronged hands with crenellated fingers. The form features two heads — one at the upper center and one inverted at the lower center — creating a mirrored, bicephalic composition. Each head is rendered as a dark face in black appliqué with densely embroidered details: multicolored herringbone and chain stitches in green, yellow, red, pink, and teal radiating from the crown like a crest or headdress, a prominent white and red oval eye, and dotted embroidered markings suggesting whiskers or facial tattoos. The upper head faces left, the lower faces right, each framed within concentric arched bands of orange, red, blue, and black. The central torso contains a large elongated diamond or fish-like form outlined in blue and red, its interior densely filled with geometric cutwork — horizontal bars with zigzag sawtooth edges, rectangular color reveals in yellow, pink, blue, and green, and triangular accent elements. This internal patterning creates a rhythmic, almost skeletal quality, as if revealing the creature's inner structure. The surrounding field on both sides is filled with rows of bowtie or hourglass-shaped filler motifs — each individually colored in yellow, green, teal, pink, blue, purple, and red against the black ground — arranged in vertical columns that frame the central figure like decorative borders. Additional geometric elements including diamond, triangular, and rectangular reveals in multicolored accents populate the spaces between the figure's limbs and the panel edges. Worked on orange cotton ground with layers in black, dark red, and blue, with accent colors in yellow, green, teal, pink, purple, and red. Fine hand-stitching throughout with consistent density. Blue cotton backing on the reverse. Single panel on orange cotton ground. This piece demonstrates the Guna tradition of abstracting figural subjects to the threshold of pure geometric design — the bicephalic creature retaining its embroidered faces and raised arms as anchors of figural identity while the body dissolves into an architecture of concentric lines, interlocking shapes, and chromatic pattern of exceptional compositional control. A photo of this mola can be found on page 94 of MOLAS Folk Art of the Cuna Indians by Parker and Neal Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Minor wear consistent with age. Vibrant colors. In house Flat Rate US Shipping of $15 for 1 -10 molas, $5 each additional 10 molas. Insurance is additional and required.
• Shipping Info

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